Is Dr. Althea good? Yes for the 345 and 147 creams; what else to buy
Updated October 22, 2026
Dr. Althea is worth buying for two products: the light 345 Relief Cream for oily, combination or breakout-prone skin, and the richer 147 Barrier Cream for dry skin, both $21.99 for 50 ml. Beyond those, the Vitamin C Boosting Serum is the one product we'd add; the cleansing balm, jelly mist and Aurora cushion are fine but optional.
The brand is at its best when it keeps things simple: one moisturizer per skin need, a fair price, and published percentages for the serum. It is more ordinary in the extras, and some formulas have been revised, so the label on the box you receive matters more than an older review.
This is a researched brand guide built from current Sleepy Hello product pages, which carry Dr. Althea's own product descriptions, checked October 2026. We haven't worn or tested these products; texture descriptions are the brand's, and the buying advice comes from comparing formulas, directions, sizes and prices.
Is Dr. Althea a good brand?
Yes, for a short list of reasons. The range we stock is small, and its best products each do one clear job: 345 is the light daily moisturizer, 147 the richer one, and the Vitamin C Boosting Serum handles dull-looking skin and the look of dark spots. Prices run from $15.99 to $27.99 at Sleepy Hello, checked October 2026.
Where it is ordinary: the Pure Grinding Cleansing Balm and Aqua Marine Jelly Mist are pleasant formats rather than standout formulas. Our product pages also don't print a full ingredient list for five of the six products in this guide (the cushion's is partial), so if you avoid a specific ingredient, read the box before you open it.
Our take: buy the cream that matches your skin first. Everything else is a second or third purchase.
What is the difference between Dr. Althea 345 and 147?
345 is the lighter cream built around niacinamide; 147 is the richer cream built around ceramides and positioned for dry skin. The numbers are product names, not strengths, and the two cost the same: $21.99 for 50 ml each at Sleepy Hello, checked October 2026, or about $0.44 per ml.
Dr. Althea 345 Relief Cream, 50 ml is described by the brand as a silky, quick-absorbing cream for acne-prone, blemish-prone and sensitive skin, meant for the days after a breakout when marks and uneven texture linger. Its named ingredients are niacinamide (vitamin B3, used for the look of uneven tone), ceramide NP (a skin-identical lipid that supports the moisture barrier), and panthenol and beta-glucan, two humectants that hold water in the skin. Dr. Althea says it contains no added oils or essential oils, is made without artificial colors or fragrances, and has been clinically tested as non-comedogenic. That last point is the brand's claim; the study isn't published on our page.
One caution on 345: its ingredient list has changed. The list on our product page starts with water, propanediol, glycerin and cyclohexasiloxane (a silicone) and includes lavender flower extract among a long run of plant extracts. The brand list our 345 Relief Cream review checked in September 2026 starts with water, tea tree leaf water, propanediol and glycerin. Niacinamide, panthenol and ceramide NP appear in both, so the core of the cream is the same, but compare the panel on your tube if you avoid a particular extract.
Dr. Althea 147 Barrier Cream, 50 ml is, in the brand's words, "rich comfort without excess greasiness", suggested for dry skin and for nighttime or cold-weather routines. Ceramide NP supplies barrier lipids, while ectoin (a water-binding molecule) and several forms of hyaluronic acid add hydration. It is labeled fragrance-free, and Dr. Althea says it has undergone sensitive-skin safety testing. Our product page doesn't print the full list; the brand list checked for our 345 review began with water, aloe leaf water, butylene glycol and glycerin, included squalane and cetyl alcohol (a fatty, non-drying alcohol), and did not list niacinamide.
The directions are the same for both: apply as the last step of your routine and press until absorbed. If you use a strong active such as a retinoid, Dr. Althea suggests an optional "sandwich": a light layer of cream, then the active, then more cream.
Pick 345 if your current moisturizer feels heavy, or you want something thin under sunscreen. Pick 147 if light creams leave your cheeks tight by midday, or for winter. There's no need to buy both at once; add the second later only if you want to switch with the seasons.
Is the Dr. Althea Vitamin C serum worth it?
Yes, if you want an easygoing tone serum under $25; no, if you specifically want a high-strength vitamin C serum, because Dr. Althea doesn't publish how much vitamin C is in it. Dr. Althea Vitamin C Boosting Serum, 30 ml costs $22.99 at Sleepy Hello, checked October 2026, about $0.77 per ml.
The renewed formula combines two forms of vitamin C, 3-O-ethyl ascorbic acid (a stabilized vitamin C derivative) and ascorbic acid, with 5% niacinamide and 2% tranexamic acid, an ingredient used in brightening products for the look of dark spots. Alpha-arbutin, another brightening ingredient, is part of the same blend. The published 63% figure refers to Hippophae Rhamnoides Water (sea buckthorn water), not vitamin C, and the individual vitamin C concentrations are not published. The formula also lists 5% centella asiatica leaf water for comfort and 2% betaine for hydration, and it is made without artificial fragrance or coloring.
So this is a blend serum. Its tone-evening job is spread across several ingredients at stated, moderate levels rather than resting on one strong vitamin C. That makes it a reasonable first vitamin C product, and a weaker pick for someone who already uses a pure ascorbic acid serum and wants more. Dr. Althea describes the feel as lightweight, fast-absorbing and non-greasy.
Directions: after cleansing and toner, let your skin dry, apply a few drops, pat in and follow with moisturizer. It can be used morning or evening, with sunscreen during the day. If you're new to vitamin C, the brand suggests every other day at first, increasing as your skin is comfortable.
Our product page doesn't print the full ingredient list. It calls this the renewed formula, so older stock may differ; check that the box mentions 5% niacinamide and 2% tranexamic acid. For stronger or simpler options, see our Korean vitamin C serum guide.
The rest of the range: cleansing balm, jelly mist and cushion
Pure Grinding Cleansing Balm
Dr. Althea Pure Grinding Cleansing Balm, 50 ml is $18.99 at Sleepy Hello, checked October 2026, about $0.38 per ml. Its point of difference is the packaging: you twist the container to grind out a portion, so fingers and spatulas stay out of the jar. Grape seed oil dissolves makeup and sunscreen, camellia seed oil adds moisture, and madecassoside (a compound from centella) is included for comfort. The brand says it removes sunscreen, daily makeup and waterproof formulas and leaves skin soft rather than tight.
Use it with dry hands on dry skin, massage, add a little water until it turns milky, rinse, then follow with a water-based cleanser. The full ingredient list isn't printed on our page, so its fragrance status isn't confirmed there. Buy it if the grinder appeals; otherwise our cleansing balm guide compares other balms.
Aqua Marine Jelly Mist
Dr. Althea Aqua Marine Jelly Mist, 100 ml is $15.99 at Sleepy Hello, checked October 2026. It is a jelly in the bottle that sprays as a fine, watery mist. The brand lists 10% Ulleungdo deep sea water and three forms of hyaluronic acid, plus PDRN (a DNA-derived ingredient the brand includes for a firmer-looking appearance) and malachite extract, which gives the mist its blue tint. It is labeled vegan.
Shake it, close your eyes and mouth, spray from about 8 inches and pat in, or spray closer for a serum-like layer. The brand also suggests it as a setting mist over makeup. This is the most optional product in the range: pleasant for a midday refresh, but it doesn't replace a moisturizer.
Aurora Cover Cushion
Dr. Althea Aurora Cover Cushion No. 21, 15 g is $27.99 for the full-size compact at Sleepy Hello, checked October 2026. It is also stocked in No. 13 and No. 23 at the same price. Dr. Althea describes full, buildable coverage with a semi-matte, satin-like finish, made with 60% essence to keep it from looking cakey, plus centella asiatica extract. Our No. 13 and No. 23 pages list SPF 50+ PA+++, while the No. 21 page prints SPF 50 PA+++. The partial ingredient list on our pages includes titanium dioxide and niacinamide.
Two limits. We stock three shades, No. 13, No. 21 and No. 23; only No. 21's page describes its range (lighter-to-medium, undertone not confirmed). And SPF ratings are measured at a far heavier application than most people pat on as foundation, so wear sunscreen underneath and count the cushion's SPF as a bonus. Our Korean cushion foundation guide covers more shades and finishes.
Is Dr. Althea good for sensitive skin?
Mostly, if you start with the moisturizers. 147 is labeled fragrance-free and, according to the brand, has undergone sensitive-skin safety testing. 345 is made without artificial fragrances or essential oils, though the list on our page includes many plant extracts, lavender flower extract among them. Neither label guarantees comfort for your skin, and the brand doesn't publish the test results.
The Vitamin C Boosting Serum is the product to introduce slowly. It combines vitamin C, niacinamide and tranexamic acid in one step, and that is a bigger change for easily irritated skin than a new moisturizer; the brand's every-other-day start is sensible. Add one new product at a time, try it on a small area for about a week before using it all over, and stop if you get burning, itching or a rash.
Start with the moisturizer that matches your skin: 345 if you're oily, combination or breakout-prone, 147 if you're dry. Those two are the brand's core moisturizers and the lowest-risk first purchase. Add the Vitamin C serum second, once the cream has settled into your routine.
Dr. Althea doesn't have a gel cleanser or a dedicated sunscreen on our shelf, so these three-step routines borrow a cleanser from elsewhere, such as Round Lab 1025 Dokdo Cleanser, 150 ml at $11.99, checked October 2026.
For oily or breakout-prone skin:
Cleanse: Pure Grinding Cleansing Balm in the evening on days you wore sunscreen or makeup, followed by a gentle water-based cleanser.
Serum: Vitamin C Boosting Serum in the morning, every other day at first.
Moisturize: 345 Relief Cream, then sunscreen in the morning.
For dry skin:
Cleanse: the balm at night, then a gentle water-based cleanser.
Serum: Vitamin C Boosting Serum, or skip it until the cream has settled.
Moisturize: 147 Barrier Cream, morning and night. If it later feels too rich under makeup, you can add 345 for mornings.
For easily irritated skin:
Cleanse: keep the gentle cleanser you already use.
Serum: none at first.
Moisturize: 147 Barrier Cream on its own for a couple of weeks before adding anything else.
What to skip: the jelly mist unless you already enjoy misting, the cushion if none of our three shades suits you or you prefer a sheer base, and buying both creams at once.
Where to buy, with Sleepy Hello prices checked October 2026:
Yes. Dr. Althea is a South Korean skincare brand, founded in 2014.
Is Dr. Althea 345 good for acne-prone skin?
It is designed as a moisturizer for acne-prone and blemish-prone skin, and the brand says it is clinically tested as non-comedogenic. It isn't an acne active, so keep using whatever your routine already relies on for breakouts and let 345 be the moisturizer.
Can you use the Vitamin C serum with 345 or 147?
Yes. Apply the serum after toner, let it absorb, then follow with either cream. The serum and 345 both contain niacinamide, and the brand gives no reason to separate them.
How much does Dr. Althea cost?
At Sleepy Hello, checked October 2026, prices run from $15.99 for the jelly mist to $27.99 for the cushion. Both creams are $21.99 for 50 ml.
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